With each new year comes new trends, new technology, and exciting new innovations in the automotive industry. For example, 2016 saw the rise of Wi-Fi and connectivity services in cars, as well as a spike in sales across North America. In 2017, auto industry students and professionals everywhere can look forward to seeing even more interesting trends emerge.

Here are three trends you can look forward to in the new year!

Students in Auto Mechanic College Might See Talking Cars in 2017

Vehicles are going to find their voice in 2017, but not in the way you may think. Technology is being developed that will allow vehicles to “talk” or communicate with each other. The new technology program is called Vehicle to Vehicle Communication (V2V) and uses a wireless network to send short-range communications between cars.

V2V will alert other cars and their drivers if another vehicle is about to make a dangerous or careless maneuver on the road. Although the technology is still in development, these alerts could come in the form of a flashing light on the dashboard or an audio alert. It may still be a while before we see this technology adopted in Canada, but it’s likely this topic will be trending come 2017.

Students in Auto Mechanic College Will See Even More Focus on Self-Driving Cars

Any passionate car enthusiast or automotive service technician likely knows that self-driving cars are quickly becoming a reality. In 2017, this trend will continue and more vehicles will be adopting self-driving technology. Car brands like Volvo and Audi are actively investing in developing driver-less models and Ford is set to begin testing self-driving vehicles in Europe with the start of the new year.

Autonomous vehicles will be a trending topic in 2017

The United States government has invested over one billion dollars into self-driving technology in hopes that it will make roads safer. In fact, researchers believe it could prevent as much as “94 percent of fatal crashes involving human error.”

Although fully-fledged self-driving vehicles probably won’t be on the market for the general public for quite a while, many vehicles in 2017 will feature self-parking features. In 2017 one thing is for certain: parallel parking will be a whole lot easier!

Students in Auto Mechanic College Might See More Hybrid and EV Options

Over the past several years, there has been a surge in hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) popularity. In 2017, students in auto mechanic college can expect to see even more options, and attractive ones to boot. This coming year, car buyers won’t have to sacrifice mileage, look, or performance if they want to invest in an eco-friendly vehicle!

There are going to be many trending topics in 2017 with regards to electric and hybrid vehicles. One of the most noticeable trends will be an increase in the distance hybrids and EVs can travel on a single charge. This improvement overcomes a major obstacle for buyers who never considered EVs before. In addition, more and more brands will be offering electric and hybrid options, providing more choices than ever for brand-conscious buyers. Upscale brands like Acura, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes are all releasing hybrids in 2017 with sleek designs.

With all the advances in automotive technology, it’s never been a better time to start a promising career in the automotive industry!